november green press 2012

ACS Green Press

Army Community Service (ACS) Fort Drum, New York September 2012

Regarding Resilience:

Tips, tools and tech-

niques for practicing

resilience everyday

2

Negotiating Job Offers Look Who‟s on the Payroll!

3

An Afternoon of

Pumpkins

4

The Pumpkin Patch 5

Spouse in the Spot-light

6

Family Advocacy

Promoting Healthy

Families

7

ACS Calendar of

Events

9

ACS Contacts 10

Inside this issue:

~A tree free newsletter Direct questions / feedback To: Sarah Lynch : 772-5374 [email protected]

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists

and Wampanoag Indians gath-

ered together to share a harvest

meal that we acknowledge as the

first Thanksgiving. Although

the Thanksgiving holiday is pri-

marily celebrated in the United

States and Canada, prayers of

thanksgiving and thanksgiving

harvest festivals and ceremonies

are common among many relig-

ions and cultures worldwide.

Thanksgiving, held the fourth

Thursday of November, is

marked by a decadent feast,

Family centered activities, foot-

ball and reflections on what we

have to be thankful for.

This year, Army Community

Service would like to challenge

everyone to consider how lucky

we are to be part of something

bigger. We want everyone to be

thankful for the abundance and

opportunities we have available

to us in America.

If we each took five minutes to

think about our lives, we would

be able to identify at least one

thing we are thankful for. On

the other hand, we can also

identify someone in the world,

in the United States or even in

Putting the “Thanks” Back in Giving

us have known someone who

has been affected by cancer

and therefore feel compelled

to donate to an organization

that fights cancer. To donate

to such an organization not

only makes sense but is a no-

ble act. We just want you to

be aware that you can split

your allotments between

more than one charity.

In short, we would like you to

consider the services offered

and highly utilized at ACS by

our Fort Drum community

when you fill out your contri-

bution form this year. In this

fiscal reality, every penny

counts.

When you are remembering

what you‟re thankful for this

year, consider those in your

community who have a little

less to be thankful for. Keep-

ing them in mind, give with a

thankful heart to the Com-

bined Federal Campaign.

If you would like to contrib-

ute your donations to ACS

the contribution number is

#76488. Remember, Think

ACS First!

our neighborhood that may have

less to be thankful for and could

possibly use a little charity. With

that in mind ACS would further

challenge everyone to remember

that we are an Army that takes

care of their own thus the adage

charity begins at home seems to

apply.

Last month, the Combined Fed-

eral Campaign kicked off their

annual drive for charitable dona-

tions.

During the 2012 fiscal year ACS

served 832,000 Fort Drum Sol-

diers and Families. When consid-

ering which charitable organiza-

tion you will donate your com-

bined Federal Campaign dollars

to, remember that by donating to

Army Community Service at Fort

Drum, your money stays within

the community in which you live.

It will help fund the very pro-

gramming and services your battle

buddies, friends and neighbors are

utilizing in times of need. When

you choose to donate to ACS it is

a Fort Drum Specific organiza-

tion.

It is true many people have their

personal charities they tend to

donate to. For instance, many of

ACS Green Press November 2012

Regarding Resilience: Tips, tools and techniques

for practicing resilience everyday!

By Jenn Eichner, MRT 772-2848

How well do you receive other peo-ple‟s good stuff? Have you ever really thought about that? Your answer to the question might just surprise you. I think we all like to be able to say that we receive well and doing so helps build strong connections with others. This would be ideal because as we have discussed earlier, strong connec-tions is an essential part of resilience. Unfortunately, some us may not find ourselves able to honestly say that we productively receive others good stuff. There are four ways people tend to respond when others share good news, talk about a positive experience, or describe a success. Only one of the four styles leads to stronger relation-ships. Take a minute to reflect on the last time that someone shared good news with you. What kind of receiver were you?

Were you a conversation killer? Did you very

passively ignore the statement all together?

Friend: “My child won a spelling bee at school

yesterday.”

You: “Did you get today‟s report done?”

Were you a conversation hijacker? Did you

actively redirect the conversation toward your

own purpose?


yesterday.”

You: “My child did that last year, he is a good

speller but he now more into music.”

Were you a joy thief? Did you question

whether or not the good was really good?


yesterday.”

You: “Why spelling? Getting them into sports

will mean more in the future.

Were you a joy multiplier? Did you show au-

thentic interest, engage them and allow them to

feel good?


ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE BUILDS STRONG BONDS!

yesterday.”

You: “Really, that is wonderful. What was

the final word? How many rounds did it

go? Etc…..

Which do you think is the only re-sponse style that builds strong connec-tions? You got it, the joy multiplier! This month, start really listening to your responses to good stuff. Make every effort to be a good receiver and allow the person sharing to be encour-aged and willing to share good with you again and again. If you find yourself struggling to stay in the positive - think of this: Of all the people in the world this person could have gone to share their good stuff, they choose you! Have a great month – good luck and good thoughts!

9 November Module 1 9:30am-2:30pm

3 December Module 2 9:30am-2:30pm

11 February Module 3 9:30am-2:30pm

4 March Module 4 9:30am-2:30pm

All classes held at ACS Building call 772-0470/2848/0509 to make a reservation


New research shows that 42% of us are

uncomfortable with the idea of negoti-

ating when we‟re offered a job. How

can we become more comfortable? By

knowing what we want, what we need,

and what we‟re worth.

Job hunting can be an exhausting and

intensive process; it‟s normal to feel

disappointed when we aren‟t selected

for a position and to feel elated when

we receive a job offer. However, once

there‟s a job offer on the table, you are

in a position of strength. Before you

say yes- take a little time to evaluate

whether the offer meets your needs.

In order to get a grasp on what you

want and need, take a minute to write

down your thoughts concerning the job

offer. Is the salary adequate? Are there

additional benefits? How much will you

take home after taxes and the daily com-

mute? Will you have childcare or pet care

expenses as a result of accepting the job?

Once you estimate your net pay, think

about the responsibilities of the position

you‟ve been offered. Do a little online

research to see if the salary is in line with

what other people in similar jobs are mak-

ing. Check out competitive employers;

what they are paying their employees with

the same job responsibilities.

If all of this research leaves you leaning

towards accepting this job offer, it‟s time

to proceed to the next step. Now that you

have defined what you want and need in

terms of salary and benefits, you can pre-

pare to negotiate. If the salary is accept-

able, you may want to negotiate work

hours, vacation time, or other benefits.

Write down your counter offer and prac-

tice asking for what you want in a polite

and professional manner. Go in

to the negotiations with the idea

that you can succeed. Be ready to

support your requests with facts

and explanations. In this econ-

omy, finding a job can be difficult.

Don‟t over-negotiate- make your

needs known and be open to

compromise. For more informa-

tion on Job Negotiating attend

ERPs „Negotiating Job Offers‟

workshop on 21 November from

9:30-11:30. Call ERP to sign up

315-772-9611 / 2737 / 1090 /

7987.

Negotiating Job Offers-Tips For Success

Congratulations to the following Employment Readiness clients who have recently landed a job! Alanna Boughal Jefferson County Public Health Michele Downy ACAP – SERCO Wendy Easterling Jefferson County Public Health AND Jefferson-Lewis B.O.C.E.S.

Look Who’s On The Payroll!!!!!

“Sometimes the hardest part

of the journey is believing

you’re worthy of the trip.”

~Glenn Beck,

The Christmas Sweater

An Afternoon of pumpkins

pumpkins and carving pumpkins

(pie pumpkins are small and

thick making them much more

difficult to carve).

All in all the afternoon was fun

for adults and kids. On the next

page are some nutrition facts and

recipes for pumpkin.

Contact 772-5374 or 772-6566 for

upcoming New You Now meet-

ings.

The New You Now women’s em-

powerment group recently got

together for an afternoon of

pumpkin carving at ACS.

Some participants carved pump-

kins for the first time in their

lives. Others decided to paint

their pumpkins as an alternative

to carving. One pumpkin was

even decorated by decoupage!

The group experienced roasted

pumpkin seeds and discussed

the difference between pie

November 2012 ACS Green Press


The Most

Popular

Thanksgiving

Pies that

come up in aN

internet

search are:

Pumpkin

Pecan

Apple

Pumpkin Facts:

High in beta carotene Good source of fiber Protein, vitamin C & potassium

Choosing a pie pumpkin:

Bright Orange Thick skinned Blemish free Should be heavy for size Should have an attached stem

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a pie pumpkin or from canned pumpkin purée

1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest

1 good crust

1 Preheat oven to 425°F.

2 Mix sugars, salt, and spices, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée.

Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated.

3 Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 min-

utes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

To make pumpkin purée from a

sugar pumpkin: start with a small-

medium sugar pumpkin, cut out

the stem and scrape out the in-

sides, discard (save the seeds, of

course). Cut the pumpkin in half

and lay cut side down on a rimmed

baking sheet lined with silpat or

aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F until

fork tender, about an hour to an

hour and a half. Remove from

oven, let cool, scoop out the pulp.

(Alternatively you can cut the

pumpkin into sections and steam

in a saucepan with a couple inches

of water at the bottom, until soft.)

If you want the pulp to be extra

smooth, put it through a food mill

or chinois.

The Pumpkin Patch!


Jess Hall arrived at Fort Drum in August

of 2012 with her husband SGT Roland

Hall who is with 3-10 GSAB HHC.

Jess is originally from Century, Florida

and has been married to SGT Hall for

eight years. Since arriving at Fort Drum

however, Jess set out immediately to

make our community her home. Jess

came to ACS Relocation Readiness seek-

ing information about the area she now

calls home. We set her up to go on the

new comers tour and she captured our

hearts right away with her infectious

laugh and bright smile. Jess, we

learned, has a real love for literature

and education. She has been a teacher

both in the DOD school system and in

the Louisiana public school system.

Right away she took advantage of the

Employment Readiness Program as

she plans on finding a job. The good

news for us is that she also likes to

keep busy. She started volunteering

with Relocation Readiness and helps

teach our sewing class. Jess is currently

working with Relocation Readiness to

help develop our upcoming spouse

sponsorship program. She also partici-

pates in the New You Now spouse

group and is taking Army Family Team

Building classes.

We think Jess is a good role model for

Army Spouses! We asked her what

advice she would give new spouses

arriving to Fort Drum and she stated

“After being a spouse or associated

with the Army for almost ten years, I

would say that every place is what you

make of it. You can expect to get out

of it exactly what you put into it.”

Jess went on to say that as a country

girl she likes her wide open spaces and

Fort Drum has a lot of that to offer.

ACS wants to warmly welcome Jess

and her husband to Fort Drum. We

are happy to help her settle in and are

thankful for her contribution to our

Fort Drum Community and ACS

Family.

It just goes to show you how coming

to ACS for a lending closet and some

information, can be the first step to

opening many different doors of op-

portunity. If you see Jess, welcome

her to the community and remember,

Think ACS First!

Building Community: In the Spotlight

ACS Introduces Jess Hall-Spouse in the Spotlight

“Jumping at several

small opportunities may

get us there more quickly

than waiting for one big

one to come along.”

~Hugh Allen

Exceptional Family Member Program’s Spooktacular Halloween Celebration


This year the Exceptional Family Mem-ber Program (EFMP) put their heads together to come up with a Halloween party that would accommodate children who are not able to attend a typical haunted house event.

“Some children are unable to tolerate large crowds, loud noises, scary cos-tumes and long lines” stated Sharon Chaple EFMP Program Manager. “We decided to accommodate them with an event that takes their special needs into account.”

The EFMP Program along with some help from two girl scout troops, Amy Earle School of Dance, the Family

Advocacy Program staff and other ACS volunteers transformed ACS into a Halloween festival. Children came to enjoy games and crafts as well as other Halloween activities. Halloween treats ranged from the typical sugary treat to gluten free treats.

The event was a big success! EFMP plans to make this an annual Hallow-een happening.

Contact EFMP at 772-5488/0664for upcoming events and activities.

“Think ACS First”

Girl Scouts

Army Community Service

P4330 Conway Road

Fort Drum, New York

13602

Army Emergency Relief 772-6560, 772-8873 or 772-2855

Army Family Team Building http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122037720

772-6710, 772-9229

Army Volunteer Program Coordinator http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Army-volunteer-Corps/13651504365912

772-2899

Exceptional Family Member Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-FMWR-Exceptional-Family-Member-Program /104951319542718

772-5488, 772-0819, 772-0664

Employment Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumemployment

772-9611, 772-2737, 772-1090

Family Advocacy Program (New Parent Support Program) SAPRP

772-4244, 772-6929, 772-2279

772-0596, 772-4070, 772-0748

772-5605, 772-5914

Financial Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-financial-Readiness-ACS/1956662120473

772-0050, 772-5196, 772-8526

Information and Referral 772-6556, 772-6557

Military & Family Life Consultants 212-6919

Mobilization and Deployment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Mobiliztion-and-Deployment/178420512193448?ref=ts&v=wall

772-2848, 772-0470, 772-2919

Outreach http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-ACS-Outreach/180373271991692

772-5374

Relocation Readiness http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Fort -Drum -Relocation -Readiness Program/171335822906429

772-5475, 772-6553, 772-6902

772-6566

Soldier Family Assistance Center http://www.facebook.com/Fort.Drum.FMWR/SFAC

772-7781

Survivor Outreach Services http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumsurvivoroutreachservices

772-6357

november green press 2012

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